Through Adversity to the Stars
by Sylindara
Summary: Hunk bonds with his teammates and learns to fly.


Summary: Hunk bonds with his teammates and learns to fly.

* * *

In the past...however many hours it has been since he allowed Lance to drag him out of the dorms after curfew, Hunk has broken a man out of Garrison custody, taken a space ride through a wormhole, been given a mission to save the universe by an alien princess, stolen a yellow lion robot from a hostile planet while being shot at by more aliens, and, just now, defeated those same aliens' spaceship as the leg of a giant robot. It has been the longest two days of Hunk's life and it isn't even over yet, because Shiro is looking at him with gentle but firm eyes as he says, "Can I have a moment, Hunk?"

Behind Shiro, Lance stares at them like Hunk has just been sent off to the principal's office by the nicest, most patient teacher in the world. Hunk may be projecting a little; he swallows heavily.

As if realising how tense Hunk is feeling, Shiro quirks his lips up in a stiff smile that is probably trying to be comforting. It doesn't really work, but does remind Hunk that he isn't the only one feeling the effects of a rough couple of days, and he hasn't even escaped from an evil empire just before all this. "Uh, sure, what can I do for you? Because I gotta tell you, I'm not sure there's anything I can do right now. I mean, I'm in the engineering track. Earth engineering. For Earth things. And, okay, so I did manage to get some alien machinery moving at the mine, but what if that was just a fluke? You can't depend on a fluke, Shiro, and I'm not sure anything in this castle has Earth things except whatever Pidge had in that backpack of his- oh, and whatever is in my pocket, which is...lint, I think this is lint. Even I can't do anything with lint on an alien space castle, Shiro!"

Shiro not only lets Hunk rant to a natural conclusion, but also waits for him to take a deep breath afterwards before saying, "I was just wondering how you're doing with the Yellow Lion. The Lions seem to be helping with the piloting, so it doesn't matter none of us have ever come across anything like them before, but there are some things the Lions can't compensate for."

Hunk casts his mind back to the 'flying' he has done so far, some of which weren't so bad, maybe even good, and some of which weren't good at all. "Yeah, it feels like Yellow is telling me what to do? Except not all the time, and I don't know how to think like a pilot or fly like one, and I keep ramming into things because I don't know how else to fight, and I'm probably not supposed to. Um."

Shiro smiles again, a smoother one this time, as if it comes more easily to him. "I was thinking I could offer some lessons."

The practical side of Hunk squirms uncomfortably; he shouldn't impose, not on Shiro who is supposed to be leader and doing important leader things. But the rest of Hunk is stuck on the other side of the galaxy - the universe - from his home and everything else he knows and Shiro is one of the only four familiar things Hunk has right now, even if they only met yesterday. Probably yesterday.

"Yes, please."

* * *

The relief from surviving his first major fight against the evil alien empire as part of a giant robot sinks into Hunk's bones and reminds him he is alive, and also reminds him that he is hungry. Except now that they are out of immediate danger, Hunk finally remembers his lessons on the dangers of introducing alien organisms into the human body willy nilly, and gets a bit nauseous at the fact that he had eaten green goo that could have given him an anaphylactic shock and kill him - or just poison him and kill him.

Hunk is on his feet almost before he realises it, bustling out the door and leaving the others looking on in confusion, still sprawled over the stiff benches that circle the centre of the room they are tentatively calling the lounge.

Coran had left them there not a minute ago, promising to whip them up something nutritious and filling to celebrate their victory. Except now Hunk's not so sure about the nutritious part and he needs to find Coran before it's too late.

Coran is, disappointingly, unsympathetic when Hunk finally find him in a spacious room with what looks like a space kitchen island in the centre - apparently some things are universal. "Oh, there's nothing to worry your little head about! Of course the food is completely safe for you, you've been scanned when you entered the castle, haven't you?"

Hunk does remember the sci-fi beam that had washed over them when they entered the castle, but the thought that the beam may have irreversibly changed their physical makeup so they would survive on this alien planet doesn't make him feel better. "Uh...what does that actually mean?"

"It means," Coran says with a long-suffering sigh, "that the Castle's systems know your biological systems down to the last atom! It knows exactly what can kill you and in what quantities!"

It is as if aliens are incapable of being comforting in any way whatsoever, but at least it's better than a beam that irreversibly changes their physical makeup. Hunk gives his head a little shake, and tries to focus on what's important. "So it scanned our physical bodies to see what we can be safely exposed to?"

Coran's face takes on the same patronising look he had turned on Pidge back when they were looking for the Lions. "Why that's almost an adequate, if very abridged and simplified, summary of the complicated processes that are involved!"

"The Lions can do something similar," Hunk muses, ignoring Coran's condescension as he thinks back to how the Blue Lion had let them disembark so easily when they first came here. "Is it connected? This castle kind of feels connected to the Lions." Going home, Lance had said, and now that Hunk has his own telepathic robot lion bond, he can see why.

"Of course they're connected. This is the Castle of Lions after all!" Coran sounds almost offended, and Hunk feels a little bad about not knowing any of this when it seems so important to him, when everyone else who might have understood all the things Coran and Allura find important are dead. But most of his attention is caught on the plates piled high with more of that food goo Coran had been offering Allura.

There is no time to do anything about it now - Hunk is way too tired to try cooking in an alien kitchen when he doesn't even know what ingredients a 10,000 year old castle has - but his mind whirls with possibilities. "Do you think I can access the data too? On that little tracker you gave me to find the Yellow Lion, or even in my helmet."

Coran blinks at him. "The Castle has already scanned you, everything in this dwelling is completely safe for your species."

That...is not actually something Hunk had been worrying about, until now, but good to know. "Not in here, but there's plenty out there I want to try scanning." Hunk remembers seeing vegetation when they first touched down; surely there is something more edible on this planet than green food goo, and Hunk is determined to find it. It may even cheer Coran and Allura up; even if this goo is native Altean cuisine - which is just the saddest concept Hunk has ever considered - there's no way it can provide any comfort.

* * *

Without the rush of adrenaline in a life-or-death situation, Voltron refuses to come to them and Hunk wishes he can be more surprised. But he's used to the path to success being littered with failures, and he finds himself trusting this far more than the ease with which they had formed Voltron before. They just need to try again. Later.

The moment the Castle stops firing at them, Lance is wrenching his Lion around once again, though this time he pauses at where the barrier had been and inches through cautiously, only picking up speed once he's sure the barrier has disappeared along with the shooting. Keith and Pidge follow him immediately when they see him pass through safely, and Hunk is just about to go as well when Shiro's voice comes over the comms.

"Hunk, how about we have a lesson now?"

"Right now?" Hunk can't help the whine that enters his voice, and he doesn't really want to either. "We've just been shot at! For the whole morning!"

"And now we're not being shot at anymore," Shiro points out reasonably. "I'm not suggesting we stay out for long; I just want to have a look at how you fly for a few minutes now that I don't have to concentrate on my own flying."

Underneath his moderate tone, Shiro sounds as tired and frustrated as Hunk feels, which is what tips him over into saying yes. That, and the fact that, when he's not futilely trying to force his Lion into forming Voltron, it's actually quite nice to ride inside Yellow.

Shiro puts Hunk through a few laps while he watches in the Black Lion, then joins him inside Yellow while Hunk goes through the same laps again. It's the first time Hunk has had someone else in his cockpit; it doesn't feel bad, but still strange, and Hunk finds himself tensing up and wondering how disappointed Shiro is in his piloting. Hunk is under no illusions about his ability to fly.

Shiro doesn't mention how much he must suck, probably because Shiro is the nicest superior officer in the world, just purses his lips and nods to himself. "That's not bad."

"Wait, really?" Hunk can't help but exclaim.

Shiro smirks. "Considering the fact that you were an engineering cadet just a few days ago? Yes, I think you're doing well."

"It's Yellow who's doing all the work," Hunk mumbles, suddenly feeling shy.

Shiro looks at him thoughtfully. "I think if it was just the Yellow Lion, the flying would feel more like the autopilot from the Blue Lion when we left Earth."

It makes sense, but… "Are you saying it has to be me flying because Yellow would have piloted better?"

"No!" Shiro's eyes darts away. "...Maybe a little, but there's also less consideration for the people inside when the Lion is in full control."

It's weird, seeing Shiro look awkward, but comforting too. "It's okay, I think I know what you mean." Hunk looks down at his hands on the controls. "It feels like there's still more I can do. I just...don't know what I can or what I should be doing so I can reach that point."

"That's kind of what I was talking about before. The Lions don't make us see differently, or think differently, so we still end up approaching things the way we always do." Shiro points at the HUD, except not straight ahead, but slanted downwards. "And one thing that takes people time to get used to, is to start thinking in 3 dimensions."

Hunk peers out, following the direction of Shiro's finger. "So...don't fly in a straight line?"

"Something like that." Shiro hums. "Just try to keep in mind that even if you do fly in a straight line, it doesn't have to be forward. If you're turning, you don't have to stick to the same altitude, you can fly up and left at the same time. And, of course, the same goes for the enemy."

Shiro sets him more laps to run, and this time Hunk tries to be aware that the air above and under him are just as much part of the 'road' he's allowed on as anything else. It's hard, Shiro's right that Hunk's never thought about it this way before, but it feels like he's making progress.

Hunk gets into the rhythm enough that he lets his attention wander. "Shiro." Hunk's focus is on the man beside him, even as he tries to keep his eyes on the HUD. "Why...why me? Why give me lessons? I mean, I could have gone to Lance…"

It's not until he sees Shiro wince that Hunk realises how his words can be construed. "Would you rather learn from Lance?"

"N-noooo?" Hunk pauses. "It's just, I'm not sure why you're _not_ delegating this to Lance? You're the leader, I'm sure you have more important things to do."

"And you're my teammate," Shiro says, eyes boring into Hunk's face. "What can be more important than that?"

Hunk can feel heat rising in his cheeks. He may not have the hero worship that Lance does, but that doesn't mean he's immune to Shiro looking at him so intensely. "I guess I just wonder what you're getting out of this. I mean, even with Yellow's help I don't think I'm gonna turn into a good pilot any time soon."

"I get to spend time with my team," Shiro says easily. "Don't hold back if you'd rather have Lance here; he's your best friend, I get it. But I had fun today, and hopefully you've learned something, so it's not like this was a waste of time for me."

"Fun? Really?" Hunk eases up on the controls just so he can turn and stare at Shiro skeptically.

"Sure. You're an easy guy to get along with, Hunk." Shiro smiles blindingly; it's as effective as his stare, maybe even more so.

Hunk turns back, prodding Yellow downwards slightly, then up as he turns to the left, bringing the Lion into a loose spiral as he draws them higher. "I did learn something. Thank you, Shiro."

"You're welcome."

Hunk sneaks a peek. "And I don't want Lance here. I mean, nothing wrong with Lance, but you're a good teacher. I liked learning from you." Hunk takes a breath, tries to smile the way Shiro had smiled at him before. "We should do this again. I definitely need the help."

"I'd love to," Shiro says, and Hunk can hear the answering smile in his voice.

* * *

There is a lull after Hunk and Coran get back from Balmera, with Lance inside the cryo-pod and everyone at loose ends until he wakes. Anxiety fizzes inside Hunk at seeing Lance so still and unresponsive, so broken. But it blocks out the anxiety of the knowledge that somewhere out there is the Balmera, and Shay, and the rest of the Balmerans, all waiting for the rescue he had promised. At least with Lance, Hunk has done all he can, power thrumming through the walls around them and lighting up the pod as it heals the damage the Galra had wrought.

The others have already drifted out of the room when Hunk gets there, to while away the time until the pod is finished with Lance. A part of Hunk wants to leave with them; there are more experiments he could be doing in the kitchen, more ingredients he can play around with. But the engineer side of Hunk makes him stay. Pidge, with that same relentless curiosity that had apparently led Allura to name him Paladin of the Green Lion, is drilling Coran about the cryo-pods' inner workings.

Hunk stands next to Pidge as Coran pontificates, and lets the jargon wash over him. He doesn't recognise half of the words Coran is using, even though the translation microbes or whatever they have been granted with is working overtime to compensate. It doesn't really matter, Hunk doesn't have the medical training to get all the intricacies anyway; mostly, he's just keeping an ear out for the bits of technical knowledge he's gleamed so far, letting that build into a better idea of how the Altean technology works.

In contrast, Pidge is nodding furiously as he listens, even though Hunk knows he has just as many holes in his knowledge. But they can pool together what they have figured out later, and maybe even come to an understanding about the cryo-pods. The medical miracles it seems capable of will definitely come in handy.

Finally, Coran reaches the end of his lecture, apparently as capable of running out of steam as the rest of them. It reminds Hunk that Coran has his limits too, even though he has been working tirelessly this whole time, doing whatever needs to be done, always there as a well meaning source of support for everyone. Hunk makes a note to himself to be nicer to Coran, and starts by stopping Pidge when it looks like he wants to keep hounding with questions.

"Hey!" Pidge scowls at him, which Hunk is feeling pretty inured to by this point. "I'm not finished!"

"I think you've gotten everything you can out of him. Coran needs rest too, you know," Hunk says, trying to sound resolute instead of just tired.

Pidge is still scowling, but does stop trying to chase after Coran as he takes the chance to escape, so Hunk takes it as a win. All the fight seems to leave him now that there are no technical explanations to pay attention to, and Pidge heaves a deep sigh as he slumps back against Lance's pod.

Hunk sinks down next to him, not quite willing to leave Pidge here alone. It's also the perfect chance for Hunk to ask the question that has been burning on his tongue since he returned. "Where's Rover?"

Pidge stiffens, eyes dropping to the ground. Hunk can feel his stomach dropping too. "Rover's...gone. Dead. To save me." There is a faint waver in Pidge's voice, as if he's going to cry.

"I'm so sorry." Hunk tries to infuse as much sympathy as he can into the words, hands coming up for a moment before futilely dropping back down to his sides. Pidge has always set himself apart from the team, that fact not changing even though the team is now a mindmelding giant robot on regular intervals; perhaps he's always been preparing to leave them. It leaves Hunk uncertain how to judge the distance between them, and reading his journal and poking into his mind just confuses him more.

Pidge ignores the awkwardness, maybe not even noticing it, and gives a quick shake of his head. He looks up with a wan smile. "It's okay. Rover made that decision, and I'm grateful for it." And just like that, the moment is over; Pidge is back to Pidge, indomitable and unreachable.

"Are you really leaving?" Hunk makes sure his vulnerabilities are loud and clear in his voice. It doesn't matter if Pidge pushes them away, Hunk has always left himself open and that won't change.

Pidge blinks in surprise. "Oh! You and Coran weren't in the room when I told the others." There's a slight blush on his face as he looks down again, and Hunk feels like he's just missed something big. "I'm, um, not leaving anymore."

"Really!?" A wide grin spreads on Hunk's face.

Pidge shrugs. "Okay, I really wasn't planning on saying this more than once, but a team's like a family and...I guess I'm part of the team after all."

Hunk barely waits for him to stop speaking before he is sweeping Pidge up into a tight embrace. Pidge stiffens in his hold, but Hunk doesn't mind. They will have plenty of time for Pidge to open up; for now, he's here with them, he's willing to stay. That is enough.

* * *

This time, it's Hunk who invites Shiro out for a lesson. The Balmera has gifted Hunk with a lot; a newfound confidence in himself, conviction in his role, determination to defeat Zarkon, and also an awesome-looking new gun cannon thing.

But the battle there also showed how excruciatingly underprepared they still are. Even with the extra time Shiro has spent with him, and all that experience Hunk now has piloting the Lion, there is still so much Yellow is capable of that Hunk cannot draw out. And the same goes for the others.

Hunk knows what he should be doing is inviting everyone together. They can all use the practice, and training with all five of them together is just more effective when that's how they fight in actual combat. But Hunk doesn't want to share this moment with the others. Not yet. _Next time,_ he thinks, _next time we can all practice together. Today is just for me and Shiro_.

Shiro, luckily, doesn't say anything, even though he must know just as well, maybe even better, the need to have them all train together. But when Hunk invited him, earlier today, all Shiro did was nod.

They run through the things Shiro taught last time, and there is an ease in the way Hunk runs through the motions now, buoyed by all he has been through in the meantime. Undeniable proof that he has improved. Shiro smiles approvingly, and Hunk's heart feels like it's going to burst.

"I want to focus on something else this time," Hunk says when they are done with the review. He is still feeling the rush from how well he's done so far, the exhilaration helping him sound like he knows what he's talking about. "I want to know more about fighting. How do I fight better?"

Hunk is used to the thoughtful looks Shiro sends him during their private lessons, though he isn't always sure if they're a good thing or not. Today there is something dark in Shiro's eyes that make Hunk wonder if maybe he shouldn't have asked. But he can't not ask, he can't not fight, and Shiro knows as well as he does. "The most important thing in a fight is to play to your strengths. The best way to win is to either start the fight in your advantage, or steer it until it is to your advantage."

It sounds impressive, but Hunk is not sure how to apply it to himself. "Uh, Shiro, I'm not sure I have any advantages in a fight. I'm in the engineering track; us nerds aren't made for fighting. And I realise the kind of build I have but violence just isn't my thing, Shiro. No offence."

"For one thing, Hunk, we're all Garrison raised. We're all nerds here; you can't use that as an excuse," Shiro says, amused. "But we can approach this differently. What are the Yellow Lion's strengths?"

"The armour," says Hunk immediately. "It's slow but tough. I ram it into everything all the time and it works just fine."

"Then that's your strength."

Hunk frowns uncertainly. "Just ramming into things? But Yellow has the laser things too, and other weapons."

"But what do you do in a real fight? How did you fight on the Balmera?" Shiro is still using his teaching tone, unsubtly telling Hunk to think it through on his own.

"I just kind of rammed into things a lot," Hunk admits, remembering his 'fight' with a wince. "That was just the first thing I thought of!"

"And it worked," Shiro points out. "There's nothing wrong with doing the first thing you think of if it works. Especially in a fight, having the first thing you think of be the one that works is the best outcome."

"But that's not going to be _enough_ ," Hunk protests. He wants to follow Shiro's suggestion, it would make life so much easier for him. Too easy; that's the problem.

Shiro just smirks. "So we just teach you to ram _better_."

It's that same confidence that makes Shiro such a good leader. That unquestioning belief in Hunk and his abilities, even when Hunk doesn't believe in himself. That is what makes Hunk, makes all of them, follow Shiro; to wherever he may lead. On his own, Hunk may let his worries talk him out of action; his uncertainty in this new reality is a constant companion. But when Shiro tells him to do something, he does it.

* * *

Having the big bad of the evil alien empire on their tail with no discernable reason why isn't good for the nerves, and Hunk finds himself as jumpy as the others after their multiple run-ins, terrified that Zarkon is going to show up again at any moment. They can't keep up this hyper vigilance forever, and Hunk takes his distractions whenever he gets the chance.

Unfortunately, Hunk's usual method of relaxation is not available at the moment. The last time he tried to bake had resulted in an inedible mess that might have ruined his confidence as a cook for good, if it wasn't for his cookies turning into their only means of escape. Now isn't the time to try again, especially when he still doesn't know what all the ingredients are - and which are even ingredients in the first place, as his cookies have demonstrated.

This is why, even though Shiro has told them to rest up for tomorrow, Hunk does not head straight for his room but falls into step with Lance instead. "So what happened in between those showdowns with Zarkon earlier? You and Keith both come back in swimming trunks and actually getting along, in the middle of battle! Did you guys bond or something?" He doesn't mean anything serious about it, just a light bit of teasing before they separate for bed, and he _is_ a little curious even though the answer probably isn't going to be a big deal.

So Hunk is not expecting Lance to swell up like a balloon and throw his hands in the air. "Oh, you will not BELIEVE what BULLSHIT WE HAD TO FACE. My Hunk, my man, my friend, sometimes the situation is just SO BULLSHIT even the fieriest, coolest of rivalries just have to be set aside, okay?"

Hunk raises an eyebrow at the theatrics, because just hours ago Lance and Keith had been having one of their little pissing contests right in the middle of fighting Zarkon. Hunk cannot imagine a situation more bullshit than that.

Still, looking up at the...pool...embedded into the ceiling of the giant hall Lance leads him to after seeing his doubt, Hunk can't help but agree that it is pretty bullshit. "That's not a pool, that's a feng shui decoration."

"I. KNOW." Lance swings his arms wildly, as if trying to disperse the frustration that is pouring off him in waves. "Look at it, Hunk! Who even does that? A pool is for relaxing! For enjoying the water! What is WRONG with Alteans!?"

Hunk shrugs because he doesn't have an answer, but he agrees with Lance's sentiment. Not just the one he's voicing, but the deeper layer of homesickness, the need for something recognisable that had led Hunk to baking something that can remind him of Earth. They haven't talked about wanting to go home again, not since that fateful night when Lance's longing had led him to the Bridge and gets him caught up in a life-threatening explosion with Coran, not since Hunk returns from the Balmera with the newfound determination that as a Paladin of Voltron this is a fight he cannot walk away from. Wanting to go home is no longer a luxury that any of them can afford. But looking at Lance's desolate eyes as he stares up at yet another betrayal of something that should have been familiar, Hunk can feel his heart aching in tandem.

Forcing himself to look away, Hunk follows Lance's gaze up. "I wonder how it's staying up there?"

Lance turns sharply, as if picking up something in Hunk's tone. "Wait, can you- is this something you and Pidge can figure out? Can you do something about this?" Naked hope shines painfully in his eyes. "A pool. A _real_ pool."

Hunk glances around the room until he sees what looks like a control panel, and wanders over to poke at it. "We won't know unless we have a look." The writing is in Altean, of course, and Hunk makes a note to have Pidge translate for him. It would be easier to learn Altean himself, but he has heard about how she got her hard earned knowledge of the language and Hunk isn't that desperate yet.

Lance bobs his head up from behind Hunk's shoulder, even though he knows as much Altean as Hunk does. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think," Hunk says with a sigh, turning away from the panel, "that we should go sleep so we can be rested for the battle tomorrow, and that we should ask Allura for permission before we start any long term renovations on her castle."

"You're a wuss," Lance complains, but follows Hunk out of the room. "When we get a breather, we need to do something about this. Let's get some Earth up in here."

* * *

Sometimes it feels like the Lions never stop changing, every time Hunk thinks he's getting closer to figuring out Yellow something new gets introduced. If he's Pidge it would be different. Pidge likes the challenge of confronting new things and conquering them, Hunk just wants to understand and be done with it.

But he gets the same thrill every time he unlocks a new feature as everyone else, and Hunk can feel the excitement bubbling under his skin as he gives Shiro a closer look at the Armour Claws during their private lesson.

Shiro is appropriately appreciative, oohing and aahing over the new additions in a way that makes Hunk feel powerful. As if he's the one who's come up with something new instead of Yellow. Hunk basks in it as long as he can before he caves. "Okay, so I didn't actually have any plans today except showing you this."

The look Shiro sends him is slightly quizzical, but with none of the exasperation Hunk is expecting. "That's okay. Not every lesson has to be serious business."

It's a far cry from the tension that had been suffocating them for the past few days, and Hunk finds himself smiling. "Well, we do have a pretty important contact to meet, which is _pretty_ serious business, but I'm glad to hear you say that."

Shiro smirks. "Worst that can happen is we lead Zarkon straight to the only people we know actively fighting against him besides ourselves. No reason for it to be serious business." His smile turns rueful. "But hopefully Black is completely on our side now, and the Blade of Marmora comes through."

Hunk notes Shiro placing a careful hand over his metal arm, and pretends he doesn't. "Yeah, so...how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," says Shiro, the smile more practiced this time.

Hunk frowns a little. Maybe this is the time to push. But before he can say anything, Shiro is turning to him fully, stare intense but familiar.

"I meant what I said. Not everything has to be serious business." Shiro's gaze turns back to Yellow's HUD, freeing Hunk from its grasp. "Why don't we do a little flying for fun?"

Despite the relief, Hunk makes himself say, "Shouldn't we be training? Preparing for whatever might happen when we meet the Blade of Marmora?" Anxiety is a constant companion nowadays, one that feels all the more clingy after the fun the Space Mall had ended up being despite everything; nothing they've faced so far suggests that their meeting with the Blade of Marmora will be peaceful or without mishaps.

"Do you want to be doing more training?" Shiro raises an eyebrow, looking far too knowing. "It's okay to have some fun. It sounds like you guys did plenty of that at the mall."

There is something in Shiro's tone that makes Hunk want to frown. Suddenly, he is struck by the possibility that Shiro might have wanted to come with them. That he might have wanted to have fun too. They all understand the importance of Shiro staying behind and bonding with his Lion, but that's done now, there's no reason why he can't let loose. "Okay, let's fly."

Shiro pauses, giving Hunk another one of his intense looks. "I don't need to point out that this isn't for me, do I? I don't need pity."

"It's not pity," says Hunk with as much conviction as he can. "One of my friends was doing a big, important job while the rest of us were having fun. So now we're going to have fun together to make up for it."

Shiro looks away from Hunk, facing forward. "Okay. Thanks."

This time it's Hunk who pauses. "So, uh, do you want to be flying instead? You know my piloting skills, how fun is my flying going to be?"

"You fly," Shiro says easily. "We're having a lesson right now, so let's teach you how to fly for fun."

"I know how to have fun! I just don't know how to fly."

The look Shiro sends him is fond, and a little exasperated. "You know how to fly." The look turns teasing. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"...Ramming into things?"

Shiro snorts. "You're really stuck on that, aren't you?"

"It's kind of my thing," Hunk points out.

"Yeah, you guys have the armour for it," admits Shiro, his human hand coming up to pat the wall closest to him. "But that doesn't mean what you've done doesn't count as flying. You guys don't _always_ ram into things."

Hunk thinks about his time with Yellow. Tries to match the idea Shiro planted with what he's done, and what he is doing. There _is_ a thrill to being in Yellow, being in the air, in space; an exhilaration in the power he controls at Yellow's consent. He's not sure it's fun. He's not sure it's ever been fun. "Teach me, then. Teach me how to fly for fun." The words rush out of him, Hunk never realised he wants this, and now he does. "Please."

Shiro gives a solemn nod, his eyes kind.

* * *

Hunk isn't so oblivious that he can't feel the tension that surrounds Keith ever since the Reveal, as if trying to shield him from the rest of them. That doesn't mean Hunk has to acknowledge it though. Allura contributes to the tension enough for all of them.

He doesn't begrudge Allura for her issues with the Galra; Hunk knows the Galra as the enemy, and then as someone who sacrificed his own life for theirs, but Allura had known them as friends and allies, one of the Paladins who kept the universe safe with her father. In some ways, that probably makes it harder for Allura to accept.

It's different for Hunk; still a shock, but he is as prepared to accept Galra Keith just as much as Regular Keith. Now if he can just get Keith to see that.

' _I didn't just turn Galra!_ ' Keith had snarled, as if it matters. Hunk doesn't know how to explain to him it doesn't. Maybe he hasn't suddenly changed, but their understanding of him has, and so has his understanding of himself. Hunk doesn't trust him any less than he did before, but Regular Keith who didn't know his mother or what his dagger means is now Galra Keith with a past and ties to a culture he never knew. And he actually has a sense of humour. Sure, Regular Keith had laughed at his jokes, but Galra Keith makes them too.

Since he doesn't have the words for it, Hunk defaults to what he does best, and pokes at the old records in the Castle - with some help from Pidge - until he manages to collect a range of traditional Galra dishes from 10,000 years ago.

He's not expecting gushing praise, but a bit more enthusiasm than the disgusted curl of Keith's lips would have been nice. "And what is this supposed to be?"

"Galra food!" says Hunk, making up for Keith's lack with enthusiasm of his own. "I was thinking we can start small, then work our way up. Go through these first, and THEN go bother your secret clubhouse about what kind of menu evil empires have."

The look on Keith's face doesn't improve. "They're not _my_ secret clubhouse! And I'm not going to suddenly start eating Galra food either! I still haven't turned purple!"

"So?" Hunk blinks at him. "You don't need to turn purple to eat this. I checked with the Castle AND Coran, these are all dishes that humans can eat too. I was thinking we can try them out. Er, maybe not Allura, not yet."

Keith's face finally softens. "We?"

"Well, yeah!" scoffs Hunk. "This is my chance to finally try some Galra food! Non-evil version. There's no way I'm not in on this too."

"I don't know about this," Keith says, his tone hesitant.

"Why not? This is your chance to eat what your people eat."

It's the wrong thing to say, because the walls slam back up and Keith is scowling again. " _My_ people eat human food."

"Some of your people. The Galra part of your people eat this." Hunk waves at the files on the screen in front of them. "Or...whatever version of this exists after 10,000 years. Like I said, we can try the current, evil version later."

"You really care a lot about food, don't you." The look Keith sends him is no longer as defensive, though still not nearly close enough to cooperative.

"Food is important," says Hunk seriously. "They're what ties us together as a culture."

Keith takes his eyes off Hunk, turning to look fully at the screen. "So this is what the Galra eat."

"Yeah, don't you want to know?"

"I-I don't know." Keith bites his lip. "I thought I did. For the longest time, it was what drove me. I thought I had to know what it all meant. But now...now I'm not sure it's worth it."

Hunk does his best to nod without judgement. It's not his place to say how Keith should feel, and yet... "But it's a part of you. It's who you are."

"You really care about this too, don't you." The look Keith sends him is heavy with exasperation.

"It's who you are," repeats Hunk. "It's not going to go away if you ignore it."

"It's not like you're letting me ignore it," Keith spits out, then blinks. "Is that what you're trying to achieve?"

Hunk shrugs, not sure he understands what Keith is getting at. " _Allura's_ not going to suddenly pretend it never happened if you just ignore it either. And...don't you think it's a waste? Okay, so we're kind of at war with the Galra, which IS awkward, don't get me wrong. But there are nice Galra, that we're working together with to save the universe, and Ulaz sacrificed his life to save us, and...don't you want to try their food?"

Keith looks away. "Maybe."

"Oh, you're not going to regret this." Hunk grins, excitement bubbling up in his chest. "Which one do you want to start with?"

* * *

On the eve of their confrontation with Zarkon, after the symbolic moment the five of them shared together on top of the Teludav, Shiro takes Hunk out on one final lesson.

"It's not really a lesson, I suppose." Shiro scratches the back of his neck. "There's nothing left to teach. I guess I just wanted us out here one last time."

"Uh, there's plenty left to teach," Hunk points out doubtfully, waving at their surroundings. "You can't call this good flying, Keith would have an aneurysm."

"But it's not bad flying," says Shiro, and beams at him.

"If you say so." Hunk shrugs, and smiles back. "I accept the compliment."

"Good." Shiro nods, falling quiet as Hunk flies through the Olkarion sky.

There is a fragility to the silence, in Shiro's eyes as he stares at the HUD, one that Hunk finds himself loathe to break. Also he is concentrating on flying his best today, which doesn't leave much mental capacity to talk anyway.

In the end, it is Shiro who breaks it after all, just as Hunk is running out of moves he can execute without ending in disaster. "Is there anything you want to go over for the battle?"

Hunk gives himself time to think it over, even though he knows the answer already. "No. My job is just forming Voltron when the time comes, right? I don't need to worry about anything as a leg. You're the head, you'll be there telling us what to do."

Shiro's eyes feel like they are staring right through Hunk. "Thank you, for the trust."

"Of course I trust you." Hunk grins. "We all do."

"I know." There is that same undertone in Shiro's voice that Hunk has heard before. Automatically, Hunk's eyes fall to Shiro's metal arm, just in time to see Shiro place his human hand on it.

Hunk takes a breath. "What are you going to do, after it's all over? You didn't say anything when the others were talking about it."

Shiro's eyes dart towards him, then away. "Neither did you."

Hunk frowns in thought. "I guess...it doesn't feel like it'll be over. I can barely imagine 10,000 years, how am I supposed to imagine the aftermath of 10,000 years?"

Shiro's brows furrow out of the corner of his eyes, and Hunk feels bad for bringing it up. He's not sure this responsibility should be laid on them, on Voltron, but suddenly he gets the feeling that Shiro would take on that burden whether he's meant to or not.

"You're right," says Shiro heavily. "I haven't thought about that. But first things first." The frown disappears, a familiar expression of determination back on his face. "Let's concentrate on the battle. On defeating Zarkon."

"Yeah," Hunk agrees quickly. They are silent for the rest of the flight.

But after they land, as Shiro leaves Yellow's cockpit with Hunk on his heels, he turns around one last time. "Don't worry about what comes after, Hunk. I mean what I said; defeating Zarkon, that's all we need to do. Voltron's role ends there; you'll be able to do whatever you want afterwards. I'll make sure of it."

Shiro makes it sound so final. So confident Voltron will never be needed again. As if it'll be all over if Zarkon dies.

Hunk thinks of Shay and her people, who have never known freedom, or the sky, because they've lived their whole life under the yoke of Galra rule and never even knew things could be different. How they're still learning to live life outside of the framework of slavery.

Hunk thinks of Shiro, of all he's suffered and all he's lost, and an arm that will never let him forget what he has been through. How strongly he clings to Voltron and the team and their mission to defeat Zarkon.

And then Hunk thinks of calzones again, because he's still hungry. Because amidst the uncertainty of dismantling a 10,000 year old empire and the bloody stability it erected over the corpses of its enemies, food is the unchanging rock that brings Hunk comfort no matter what - except for that one time it tried to kill him, still his worst experience in space! Empires may come and go, or not go, but people will always need to eat.

* * *

They win the battle, but Shiro is gone. They defeat Zarkon, but he is simply replaced by his son. Every victory they gain is counteracted by all that they have lost. Even regaining the ability to form Voltron brings not happiness, just a sickening sense of relief that there is one less thing to worry about. There is no Shiro to tell him to stop panicking now.

Instead, Hunk holes up in the Castle kitchen and fiddles with something he's been calling the space stove. He has been getting better at space cooking, better at figuring how to use alien ingredients - and which actually are ingredients. One day, they will stop slapping 'space' in front of everyday words in an effort to make the foreign closer to what they recognise, but that is not today.

Hunk is just taking the space pot off the heat and onto the space - okay, no, it's just a normal counter when the door swishes open, Allura striding in with an uncharacteristic drop to her shoulders and the mice nowhere in sight. She blinks at Hunk, smiling on reflex. "That smells amazing! What is it? Is it more Earth food?"

"Kind of," Hunk says earnestly, a responding smile just as much out of habit as hers. "Strictly speaking, none of the stuff I've made really counts as Earth food because they're not made with Earth ingredients. But I did base this on an Earth recipe! It's space chicken soup!"

"Chicken…" Allura frowns over the unfamiliar word. "Like a duflax? I think Pidge mentioned it at one point!"

"Uhhh…" Hunk tries to remember when Pidge has ever talked about Altean animals. "No, I think that's Altean duck? A chicken's different. Probably. They live on land and flap around a lot, and people eat them, okay?"

"Oooh, so it's like a...actually maybe not, that's poisonous."

Hunk sighs. "Anyway, this isn't a chicken OR a duck OR a duflax. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I had some leftovers of the ingredients I was using in those canapes, and this kind of looked like white meat, so close enough!"

Allura leans in closer to peer inside the pot. "Oh, um, I don't think that's meat-"

"CLOSE ENOUGH!" Hunk hunches over the pot protectively as he begins to serve.

Allura quickly leans back. "The green bits give it a nice touch of colour," she says as a peace offering. "But what are those yellow floating things?"

"Oh, I'm really proud of this one." Hunk grins, indignation forgotten. "So originally I wasn't sure we could get a cracker substitute for the base of the canapes, so I was noodling around with that flour substitute we got from the Olkari - I know it's actually some kind of leaf - but it's just too soggy and then Coran found that other thing we ended up using as the base so it all worked out! But I still had all this Olkari flour bits sitting around, and I was thinking of baking them one more time - not that it worked the last five times I tried - but THEN I thought, what if I just put them in a recipe that needs them to be wet anyway? And voila!"

Allura nods along, hastily saying, "That sounds fascinating! I now know all about it!"

Hunk puts a bowl in front of her. "Here, give it a try."

"Thank you, Hunk." Allura smiles again, still on automatic. But the satisfied sigh she gives after the first bite is completely unfeigned. "Oh, this tastes- this tastes like-"

Hunk stares. "A-Allura?"

Allura blinks back at him, one hand coming up to her cheek. She looks as surprised as he feels to find it wet with tears. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." Allura rubs the hand roughly over her eyes. "It's just...I don't know why, but it tastes so comforting. Like home."

Galvanised by her actions, Hunk quickly digs some space tissues out of his pocket and passes them to her. "On Earth, chicken soup is what you make for people when they're sick; it's supposed to be comfort food. So I added some seasoning that should taste familiar to Alteans...Coran vouched for it!" Hunk glances at her anxiously. "How is it?"

"It's perfect, Hunk," says Allura huskily, more tears spilling as she spoons another mouthful into her mouth.

"It's been a stressful couple of days for all us," Hunk continues, serving himself some of the soup too. "I figured we all need some comfort food."

"It has been stressful, hasn't it." Allura sighs into the bowl. "I'm sorry about Shiro."

Hunk looks down. "Yeah. Me too." He sticks the spoon into his mouth, the soup warming him from the inside. "At least we have Voltron again. Thanks for piloting with us, Allura. I know you're busy with the Castle too."

Allura gives a quick shake of her head. "Voltron is more important. And I hope you guys are starting to understand how important it is. How important you all are."

"I think I am," Hunk says slowly, remembering the hope in the eyes of the people they liberated. "And you're a part of that too. You're a part of us." He smiles at her, suffused with the warmth of the soup.

Allura smiles back with matching warmth, genuine and beautiful.

* * *

Shiro coming back should have fixed everything. Everything should have been the way it's supposed to be again.

But he can't pilot Black, he clashes with Keith on leading the team, and the undeniable truth is that everything has changed.

Hunk should be glad Shiro is back, and he is glad, but his return exposes how naive Hunk's expectations had been. They've had to deal with Shiro being gone, and now they must deal with Shiro being here again.

Hunk doesn't mention the lessons. Shiro doesn't ask.


End file.
